Carbonator



NOV. 25, 1941. sc 2,263,892

r CARBONATOR Filed Feb. 29, 1940 Q 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

Egan e ciaez;

Nov. 25, 1941. E. SCHAER 2,263,892

CARBONATOR Filed Feb. 29,, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Z2476? SE/z Q67,

A 2'??? e v Patented Nov. 25, 1941 i UFNI T ED SLTT E S CARB ONAT OR Eugene Schaer, Fort Frances,: OntarimCanada. Application February 29, 1940,Seria1 No.- 321 ,554" 4 claims. (01. zine-21,

MEN?" oF This invention relates to a carbonator which ments m-ay be easily taken apart for thorough. isparticularly adapted for use as a devicefor cleaning and sterilization and then quickly 'as-.:

carbonating beer and other liquids by injecting.v sembled for use; carbon dioxide gas into the-liquid. I he-invention is illustratedinthe accompanyi- Carbonating devices now in use require a high ing drawings, wherein:

gas pressure, thereby disturbing the. colloidal Fig; 1 is a side elevation of a carbonator of the structure of, the liquid and causing loss of a high improved construction.

percentage of'carbondioxide and-requiring con,- Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken vertically.

siderable time: for after-aging in order to get through the same.

the liquid: back. to its original colloidal con- Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken transversely.

sistency; througnthecarbonator onthe line 3--3'-of Fig. 2.. It therefore; one object of the invention to Fig, 4 is asectional view on an enlarged scale providealdevice-by the use of which carbon, ditaken diametricallythrough the lower-inletend oxide gasmay'beinjected under low pressure into, of thecarbonator: a-stream: or liquid flowing from a tankthrough Fig; 5 is an enlarged sectional view ofone of the carbonator to a keg, barrel, or other container. the nozzles mounted in the mixing chamber cen- It' has. alsobeen found that since carbonators. trally thereof. now inuse only. perform one charging of gas into Fig; 6 is a view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5. the-.liquidunder treatment, thus-necessitating re- Fig. 7 isa side elevation of a carb'onator having peati'ng the process until'the right percentage-of. a casing of greater depth. gaszisobtained; muchlossof time and gas as well This; improved carbonator is for 'charging beer, a r lab r is invol d, softdrinks, and other liquids with carbon dioxide It is. therefore, another object of the invention gas and has a casing consisting of an upper secto provide a device of such construction that the. tio I' formed f el l n m 10W6I S60- gas may be discharged as a series of jets and suc- Qn .2; d o a s tu nd a ead 3 cessively'mixed' with, the liquid as it flows through which is also fo m d o metal drhas an outthe carbonator. It'willthus be seen that a numstanding flange 4- secured against the flange 5 or berof charges of gas may be injected into the the upper section I by screws 6;. A gasketl liquid duringa single passage of the liquid forms a tight seal between the two flanges and" through the carbonator and thus time and labor prevents leakage when thescrews are tightened.

will be conserved. The 'upper section I of the casing has a base 8 Another object of the invention is to so arhavingalower gnemberQand the glass lower secrange the jets or nozzles that the gas will be disn. rests 1 a etal base lll'havin & lov vi charged in opposite directions'by successive jets, se i n, H,- nd, erring. tovFig. 2, it will hast the jets or nozzles being further so formed that hat. uppe a d ower ends of the glass Section 2 as the liquid moves through the carbonator it are surrounded by annular flanges l2 and I3.

will'be alternately diverted toward the center and The. members 9 and U have threaded engagetowardwallsof the carbonator and carbonatingmenlllltithv the members 8 'and l0 and elongated; of-theliquid thus assisted. bolts or rods. M, which pass through openings in Another object of the-invention is to so arrange the base member 8 and have threaded engage-, the; jets or nozzles and so control flow of gas mentwith the base member ID, se v o d aw he through thesame that the number of times gas base member t0 upwardly and. firmly hold the is'injected into the liquid may be controlled and glass tube or lower casingsection-2 in place, with also the quantity of gas discharged from the the gaskets|5 compressed to form-a tight joint. various; jets or nozzles, controlled by adjustment: The; section H extends downwardly to form a of valves through which gas flows to the jets. tubular neck It with which a pipe leading from. a,

Another object of the invention is to provide, a tank or other source of supply, is adapted to be device of this character wherein the carbonated connected and'it will be readily understood that liquid is passed through a screen which causes the liquid will flow from, the tank into the casing gas bubbles tobe broken up into equal, uniform 5i through the bottom thereof and upwardly sizes surrounded by an equal side wall of colloidal through the casing into the head 3 and out matter, thus producing a creamy consistency through the discharge neck I]. The section l0, which will last longer. is formed with a large central opening l8 and Another object of the invention is to provide sections 8 and 9 are also formed with openings acarbonator which is: so constructed that its elei9 and 2.0.. In'the embodiment shown in Fig. '7,

base members 2| and 22 are disposed between the glass casing sections 2, these members being similar in construction to the base members 8 and 9 except that the member 2| is formed with an upstanding annular flange 23 corresponding to the flange I 3 of the member It should also be noted that the rods 24 are of sufficient length to extend through the outstanding flanges of the base members 8 and 2| and have their lower ends screwed into sockets formed in the outstanding flange of the base member I. By using additional sections 2 and base members 2| and 22, a casing of greater height may be formed.

Each base or spacer is intended to serve-as a nozzle through which gas may be discharged as a film or spray into the casing. Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that the upper member of each nozzle has its under face formed with an annular channel 25 into which gas is to be delivered through a passage 26 formed in a thick,- ened portion or boss extending radially of the nozzle and having a threaded socket 28 from which the passage 26 leads. A recess or depression 29 is formed in the upper face of the lower nozzle section and is spaced from the confronting portion of the under face of the upper nozzle section and provides a narrow, circumferentially extending outlet slit communicating with the channel 25 and through which gas is discharged as a flat annular thin layer directed toward the center of the casing and through which the liquid passes as it flows upwardly in the casing. The thin layer of gas will, of course, be deflected upwardly and intermingle with the liquid as the liquid flows through the casing,

There have also been provided inner nozzles 30 disposed in staggered relation to the outer nozzles. The nozzles 30 are interposed between sections 3| of a gas pipe 32 having its upper end screwed into the depending socket 33 of a tubular arm 34 carried by the head 3 and having a socket 35 at its outer end.

Each of the nozzles 30 has upper and lower sections or members 35 and 31, the upper section 35 being formed with a pocket 38 from which extend ports 39 communicating with an annular channel 40. The upper surface of the lower nozzle section or member 31 is formed with a depression or recess 4| about its periphery communicating with the channel 40 and constituting a circumferentially extending outlet slit through which gas is discharged as a flat thin layer or jet directed toward walls of the casing. The jets or thin layers of gas discharged from the nozzles travel in a direction opposite to the direction in which the jets or thin layers of gas discharged from the nozzles of the casing travel. Therefore, a very good intermingling of gas with the liquid will be effected. It should also be noted that since the nozzles 30 have flat under faces and the nozzles between the upper and lower sections of the casing also have wide under faces, the upwardly flowing liquid will be caused to travel in a tortuous path through the casing and intermingling of the gas and liquid will thus be aided.

The gas isobtained from a suitable source of supply such as a pressure tank and flows through a conduit 42 provided with a valve 43 for controlling flow of gas through the conduit. A check valve 44 controls directional flow of the gas through the conduit and, at points spaced from.

the sockets 28 and 35 by packing glands 48. By means of valves 41, flow of gas to the nozzles can be controlled and also the nozzles may be selectively set in operation for discharge of gas into liquid flowing through the casing. The gauge 49 at the top of the casing indicates the pressure of the carbonated liquid.

The carbonated liquid flows from the head through the discharge neck l1 and through the coupling 50 by means of which the neck is connected with a hose or pipe leading to a keg or barrel, or other container to be filled with the carbonated liquid. A cup-shaped screen 5| is mounted in the coupling where it is secured by an outstanding flange clamped between the coupling and the end of the neck. Since the carbonated liquid passes through the screen, gas bubbles in the beer or other liquid will be broken up into equal uniform size surrounded by an equal size wall of colloidal matter and producing foam of a solid, creamy consistency. A test coil 52 is provided at one side of the head for testing the consistency of the foam in beer or other liquid being carbonated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A carbonator comprising a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, outer nozzles in said chamber between the inlet and outlet spaced from each 7 of gas toward the axial center of the chamber, a gas pipe extending longitudinally in said chamber axially thereof, nozzles carried by said pipe in spaced relation to each other longitudinally thereof and in staggered relation to the first mentioned nozzles and having their outer peripheries formed with circumferentially extending outlet slits for discharging thin layers of gas radially of the pipe toward walls of the chamber, and valve controlled means for delivering gas to the pipe and to the first mentioned nozzles.

2. A carbonator comprising a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, nozzles in said chamber between the inlet and outlet spaced from each other longitudinally of the chamber and extending about walls of the chamber and formed with a continuous circumferentially extending outlet slits for discharging thin layers of gas toward the axial center of the chamber transversely of the.

longitudinal axis thereof, a gas pipe extending longitudinally in said chamber axially thereof, nozzles carried by said pipe in spaced relation to each other longitudinally thereof and in staggered relation to the first mentioned nozzles and having continuous circumferentially extending outlet slits for discharging thin layers of gas radially of the pipe toward side walls of the chamber, a gas main extending longitudinally of the chamber externally thereof and having branches leading transversely therefrom to the upper end of the gas pipe and the first mentioned nozzles, and valves in said branches for individually controlling flow of gas to the first and second mentioned nozzles.

3. A carbonator comprising a casing defining a mixing chamber and having a plurality of superimposed sections and a hollow head provided with an outlet, a base for each section consistingof upper and. lower annular members forming an annular nozzle, one member having an inlet and inner peripherial portions of the members.

being spaced from each other to provide a circumferentially extending outlet for a thin layer of gas discharged toward the center of the mixing chamber, an inlet tube carried by said head, a gas pipe extending longitudinally in said chamber centrally thereof with its upper end connected with the inlet tube, annular nozzles carried by said pipe within the sections of said casing and each having upper and lower members, the peripheral portions of which are spaced vertically from each other to provide a circumferential outlet for discharging a thin layer of gas toward walls of the casing between and in a direction opposite to travel of gas discharged from the nozzles of the casing, a conduit adapted for connection with a source of gas under pressure, valve controlled connections between said conduit and the tube and between the conduit and the inlets of the first nozzles, and the base for the lower section of said casing having an inlet adapted for connection with a source of liquid to be carbonated as it flows through the chamber.

4. A carbonator comprising a casing having upper and lower sections defining upper and lower chambers and a-throat between the chambers, the lower chamber having an inlet at its bottom and the upper chamber having an outlet at its top, nozzles about the inlet and the throat each having an annular orifice for discharging a horizontal layer of gas toward the vertical'axis of the casing, a pipe extending longitudinally in the casing axially thereof, nozzles carried by said pipe in spaced relation to each other longitudinally thereof, the nozzles of said pipe being located in the chambers in spaced relation to upper and lower ends thereof and each formed with annular orifice for discharging a horizontal layer of gas toward sides of the chamber in which the nozzle is located, and means for delivering gas under pressure to the pipe and the first menticned nozzles.

EUGENE SCI-IAER. 

